In graduate school, I met a classmate who was dedicated to serving a poor community. He built an afterschool care facility for elementary students in a specific area of public schools. This was not an easy task, but using the Bridging Leadership Program (BLP) we took at the same school, he initiated an indelible legacy for the poor.
Dialogue comes first, then co-creation, bridging leadership and ownership.
"Ownership" begins with a leader who chooses to use his values and sense of mission to recognize and address the inequities in our society, according to me.
When I listened to his story, I think even before he took his Master’s Degree, he knew right from the start that he wanted to make a difference in the lives of the children who were lacking in education by teaching them. His value for education made him pursue this mission.
Early in life, I believe my schoolmate realized his universal purpose and ensured it aligned with his values. This made it easier for him to apply his acquired knowledge to Bridging Leadership.
He had the purest intention to address the poor reading abilities of the children. He was not after any personal or professional benefit. He owned up to the problem of poor reading abilities.
To be able to get support for the afterschool care program, it is important to build rapport between volunteer teachers and students, engage families, and collaborate with community stakeholders. I was impressed that my schoolmate was successful in doing all of these. He was able to engage and encourage dialogue between and among the stakeholders.
First, he built a positive relationship between teachers and students. This provided the students with the chance to express their concerns about their unfulfilled needs in their formal schools.
That was an eye-opener for my schoolmate. It allowed his Learning Center to know where to go and what assistance to provide to students. He addressed all of their concerns, and as a result, students became more confident when going to school and improved their performances.
Second, he initiated frequent and positive communication with family members, especially mothers. That was critical to building supportive relationships in the afterschool care program. Effectively engaging them by asking them what services and information they wanted or needed ensured that interactions with them should not only happen when there was already a problem with their children.
Third, he invited families to become part of the afterschool program community and to participate so as to contribute to a sense of self-worth and empowerment.
Lastly, he built a broad base of community relationships that allowed the center, volunteers, students, and parents to explore new interests, identify role models, and become immersed in their community. Such a partnership helped increase the sustainability of the afterschool program over time.
His ability to persuasively explain the advantages and logic of providing afterschool care to the underprivileged children of public schools, as well as his strong advocacy for this cause, established leadership in my eyes.
He knew it was not going to be easy, but he still chose to pursue his dream of being a teacher, not for personal satisfaction but to serve others. Furthermore, he established leadership by making the Learning Center a secure environment for students, volunteers, parents, and other community stakeholders. He has earned their trust and support, making it effortless to implement their collective agreement. Together, they were able to co-create a solution for the students’ problem.
So, to thrive, grow, and sustain a learning center, afterschool programs must build supportive relationships with program and school staff, volunteers, families, and community members so they can truly touch the lives of the children.